Shim construction for side bearings



Feb. 25., 1930. G, s, CRAWFQRD 1,748,412

' SHIM CONSTRUCTION Fon SIDE BEARINGS Filed Jan. 21. m1

' Waan/op Patented Febyyzs, 1930 *UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE n GEORGE s. CRAWFORD,v or' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNOR To `SOPHIE L. WOODS, OF

- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS y SHIM CONSTRUCTION FOR SIDE BEARINGS s Application filed. January 21, 1927. Serial No.` 162,439.

` ing, as on a straight, level track, they willl beyimmediately engaged upon any slightest swaying movement of the ycar body on that side of the car towards which the car body swings in that movement. y

The object of this invention is to prov-ide a bea-ring of simple and economical construction capable of ready'and easy adjustment to determine the clearance, notk only in the beginning when installing the bearings on the car,but also at any time thereafter, as when it is necessaryto make adjustments to com- 25 pensate for wear or for any othercondition which has increased the clearance, inorder to reduce' the clearancey and bring it to the minimum desired. The many advantages of fthe invention will appear more clearly as I y3,0 proceed with my specification.

Inthe drawings Figure 1 is a view ,showing my improvedV adjustableV side bearing in side elevation.

v Figure 2 is avview showing an end elevation of the same.

. .Figure 3 is a view representing a vertical section through the bearing in a plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the 4Q shim plates used in my improved bearing.

Referring nowto that embodiment illustrated in the drawing ;-10 indicates a bolster, in this case the body bolster of a railway car, which is shown as inclined to the 45 horizontal in that part to which the bearing is to be applied. 11 indicates a side bearing, which in this case is a plate to present a wear orbearing surface for a roller or other bearing (not shown) on the truck bolster the bearingfplane of which is represented by the line 12. 13 indicates a body shim of familiar construction which has a horizontal bottom face to which thebearing member is to be applied vand an inclined top face conforming to the inclination of the bolster 10. Screw bolts 14 taking through the bearing plate 11 and the body shim 13 secure the bearing plate and filler block to the bolster,-the heads 14a of the screw bolts being set in suitable recesses in the bearing face of the plate 11.

15, 15 indicate a plurality of shim plates interposed between the bearing ymember 11 and the body shim 13 and bolster 10. Said shim plates are kcomparatively thin so as to provide very small adjustments in the spacey between the body shim 13 andthe bearing member 11.

Each shim plate 15 is lprovided near its ends with transverse slots 16 opening atone side through the edge 17 of the plate and closed at the other side as indicated aty18. Said slots extend a little more than half way across the width of the shim plate. The edge of the shim plate 17 is turned up slightly out of the plane ofthe plate to provide a burr or shoulder as clearly shown in the drawings. The distance between the slots 16 is equal to the distance between the positions of the screw bolts 14 which connect the bearing member 11 to the body shim and bolster.

The shim plates 15 are applied in the yspace between the body shim` 13 and the bearing member 11 and as many of them are used in that space as will be necessary in order to bring the bearing member to thehorizontal level required to produce the desired clearance between the bearing members on the body and truck holsters.I As shown, four shims are used. In applying the shim plates, the bearing member and body shim are secured in place as indicated in Figure 3. The shim plates are then inserted from one side, the slots 16 being engaged upon the screw bolts 14 as the plates are pushed home. The plates are somewhat wider than the bearing member and body shim and the slots 16 are of such length transversely7 of the plate that the plates may be assembled with the burrs or shoulders 17 projecting beyond the edges of the body shim and bearing member on them, the burrs or shoulders l5 will preventthe shim plates from workingloose in a direction opposite to that in whichthey have been inserted. The ends of the vslots 1,8 will actas stops to prevent the plates from working out in the opposite direction. Thus once the screw bolts are drawn home the shim plates are securely held in position.

When the bearing member on account of wear or for any other reason requires adjustment, in order to reduce vor otherwise change the clearance, it is simply necessary to loosen the screw bolts 14 suiiiciently to drop the bearing member 11 a distance necessary to permit one or more of the shim plates to be removed or to be inserted. The amount that the screw bolts have to be withdrawn to make this adjustment is only that required -or the burrs or shoulders 17 on the shim plates to clear one another or toY clear the open.

proximate edge of the bearing member or body shim. It will be manifest that the foregoing proshim plate and closed at the other end, andy the several shim plates being each provided With a burr on the 'edge through which saidV slots open.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I aiiX my signature this 13th day of January, A. D. 1927.

' GEORGE S. CRAWFORD.

vides a very simple, ready andeasy means of adjustment of a bearing member in a railway car to the desired ,clearance either in first installation or afterwards.

I claim as my invention 1. In a side bearing, in combination with a bearing member and a member rigid with the bolster to which said bearing member is to be attached, bolts i'or attaching saidbearing member to said bolster member, a plurality of shim plates interposed between said bearing member and said bolster member, said shim plates being somewhat wider than said bearing member and each shim plate being provided with transverse slots open! ing at one end through the edge of the shim plate and closed at the other end' and the several shim plates being each provided with a burr on the edgeY through which said slots y 2. In a side bearing, incombination with a bearing member and bolts for attaching said bearing member in place, a plurality of shim plates associated with said bearing member, said shim plates being somewhat wider than said bearing member and each shim plate being provided with transverse slots spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between said attaching bolts and opening at one end through the edge of the 

